Following another successful Grafton July carnival, attention now turns to the Coffs Harbour carnival and the running of the Sawtell Cup meeting on Sunday, July 23, before the Coffs Harbour Cup program on Friday, August 4.
For local trainer Brett Bellamy, who’s no stranger to travelling all over the Northern Rivers and Mid-North Coast, he’s just happy to be back racing on his home track.
“It always has been a good carnival, and it’s great to be on the home deck,” Bellamy told NSW Country and Picnic Racing.
“We don’t have to travel, and the horses love it.”
Some sensational weather has greeted the Northern Rivers in recent months, and while Coffs Harbour did receive some rain recently, Bellamy believes every horse will get their chance on Sunday’s seven-race program.
“We had a bit of dribble on it the other day – about an inch – but it should be good,” Bellamy said.
“We have really good grass coverage, and I don’t think the track will be an excuse, and it will cater for all shapes and sizes and horses that race up the front and get down the back.”
Bellamy has a team of eight accepted to race at Coffs Harbour on Sunday and will stage a two-pronged attack in the $30,000 Sawtell Cup (1515m), with Baglioni (Courtney Bellamy, gate 9) and Mister Smartee (Ray Spokes, gate 13) to represent the stable.
Mister Smartee previously raced with Tas Morton, winning the 2020 Kempsey Cup and 2021 Krambach Cup at Taree.
A rising nine-year-old, the Smart Missile gelding has only had the four starts for his new trainer, and this prep, he has raced twice following a 23-week spell, finishing down the track at Coffs Harbour on June 16 and Grafton on July 12.
Still, Bellamy is confident of an improved effort.
“He was a bit disappointing first-up, and Lachy (Scorse) didn’t have much joy on him at Grafton; he came out with his head in the air, which he can do, but at least he has had a 1400m under his belt,” Bellamy said.
“He gets back to his home track and can run a good race.”
Baglioni is another recent addition, with the former Victorian bringing up wins at Cranbourne (x 2) and Pakenham before arriving in Bellamy’s yard.
On debut for the Coffs Harbour trainer, he won the 1300m Benchmark 66 Handicap on his new home track on June 16 before a last-start second in the 1500m Benchmark 65 Handicap at Eagle Farm on July 5.
“With Baglioni, I’m still learning a fair bit about him, but his two runs to date for me have been super,” Bellamy said.
“He won well first-up, and that run in Brisbane, he didn’t have much joy but finished the race off really well.”
The winner of the Sawtell Cup is exempt from the ballot for the $150,000 Coffs Harbour Cup (1600m), which is a Big Dance and Little Dance qualifier, and Bellamy was already thinking ahead.
“This is a strong race, and basically any of them can win it, and Brett (Dodson) has a three-pronged attack with his runners,” Bellamy said.
“The plan is to go to the Coffs Harbour Cup, and if we can somehow get our way into it, we’ll be looking at the Big Dance.”
The second feature on the Coffs Harbour program is the Trevor Hardy Sprint (1215m), and with the winner exempt from the ballot for the $50,000 Daniel Baker Showcase Sprint on August 4, Bellamy will have five-time winner Boncassie (Ray Spokes) going around.
“Boncassie is first up, she’s drawn the pole, and it’s a strong race, but if she is up there, it’s the right kind of race for her,” Bellamy said.
“She has to be given a chance, and hopefully, she can be really competitive, and then we are into the Daniel Baker Sprint on Coffs Cup Day.
“I’ve never been able to win that race as the Daniel Baker Sprint, and Daniel was apprentice to me, and it’s a race I’ve found hard to win, but one I’d like to win.”
It’s set to be a big day for Bellamy and his team on Sunday, with the stable saddling up a runner in all seven races.
For fields, click here.
